M83 - final image from Duckadang

[Dennis]

Hi

Here is the last of the three images I managed to grab at Duckadang this year. The galaxy, M83, is one of my favourites and was captured using the Celestron C9.25, f6.3 focal reducer/corrector and SBIG ST7E ccd camera.

Poor discipline (read frustration) on my part meant that I did not take any darks or flats as I was having some irritating guiding problems and wasn’t expecting to keep any of these images. This one is made up of 14 x 4min exposures.

Cheers

Dennis

PS – Upon my return to Brisbane, I discovered that the possible cause of my auto guiding problems (elongated stars) was a loose flange on the ST7 body that connects the ST7 to the JMI motor focuser. All I need now is a clear night to test this theory, otherwise its back to the drawing board, or maybe buy a H0ughy EQ6 that can produce tight, round stars, 3 mins unguided at f10.

[Striker (Tony)]

Thats another beauty Dennis...really large image scale...well done fellow Brisbanite.

[h0ughy (David)]

Oh that comment hurt Dennis. Nothing wrong with that image, love it.

hey you got two smaller galaxies as well. top shot

[EzyStyles (Eric)]

very nice Dennis. good to see some b&w shots

[tornado33]

yes the guiding looks pretty good there, stars are small and sharp.
Scott

[davidpretorius]

sigh.....one day i will be able to do this!

well done!

[Dennis]

Thanks for the nice words guys. Kinda makes up for the few nights of frustration I had at Astrofest whilst H0ughy was popping off 3 min unguided exposures, in colour, at will, a la Eric the imaging factory.

Cheers

Dennis